Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-11-17
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WHOLESOME REFORM.
Dshonest Republican Postmasters Made
to DIsGorge Their SpoIIs.

WHOLESOME REFORM.
Dishonest Republican Postmasters Made
to Disgorge Their Spoils.
Very little has been said about the
good work done by the Democratic
Administration in turning the rascals
out OF post-offices they held all over
the country, but nevertheless it has re-
suited in very considerable retrench-
ment of expenses. There was wide
spread stealing by Republican post
masters, but it would never have been
heard OF If the people had not decided
to open the books and have Dem
ocratic officials to examine. That
is why great many fourth
class post-ofices which used to
pay the postmaster from $50 to 500
a quarter do not pay the present in
combent more than one-tenth of that
revenue. The reason is that the new
Democratic postmasters charge just
what their business entities them to,
whereas their Republican predecessors
charged just as much as they though t
they could get from the profiigate Re-
publican Administration. Fourth-class
postmasters are paid according to the
number of stamps they cancel, or, in
other words, according to the amount
of mail originating at that office to be
forwarded to the rest of the world.
'.The department, says Chief Clerk
Roy, "has very frequently to send out
an inspector to see what is the reason
for the serious falling off in postal bust
ness, as indicated by reduced salaries
earned by the new postmasters. A
postmaster now at the end of
the quarter claims only So or
Sc as the amount due him
on the business of his office for the
three months. The books show that
his predecessor was in the habit of
making $40 or $50 every quarter. The
inspector investigates and finds that
there has been no apparent falling off
in business. The office is not boy
cotted; fully as many people patronize
it as formerly, and they send as much
mail matter as they had been accus-
toned to send. The explanation is
that while the Republican postmaster
had only done S. or Sc worth of bust
ness he represented that he had done
ten times as much and claimed accord
ingly. The department has practically
had to take the word of the post
master; at least. it has generally done
so. The marked difference between
the large charges made by the post
masters of the old regime and the
small charges made by their Demo-
cratic successors. who did not know
how to steal. suggested to the Demo-
cratic Administration that there ap-
peared to be something wrong, and
that an investigation was needed. The
investigation has proved that the Re-
publican postmasters have been charg-
ing away out of all proportion to the
business done. The charge has been
brought home to a large number of
them, and SO thoroughly that gener-
ally the delinquent returned to the
Government what he had wrongfully
drawn in years past, and whenever the
delinquent official has failed to settle
the bondsman has generally come to
the front with alacrity. In this way
the present Administration has already
recovered about half million dollars
from Republican fourth-class post
masters who had been in the habit of
drawing for bigger business than
they really transacted. y Washington
Post.